Improvement in refrigerators



Patented Oct. 5,1875.

WUULFOLK Rl a f'r i g e r ato r U 4 L/ Udlg. .3. URK.

N-PETERS, PHUYO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

FFIE.

LUOIEN B. WOOLFOLK, OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN REFRIGERATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 168.44 l, dated October 5, 1875; application filed July 10, 1875.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, LUCIEN B. WooLFoLK, of' Lexington, in the county ot' Fayette and State ot' Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Refrigerator-Boxes, of which the following is a specification My invention belongs to that class in which ice and salt placed in separate compartments of a refrigeratingvessel are employed for refrigeration.

My improvement consists, rst,in constructing the refrigerating-vessel containing separate ice and salt compartments across the refrigerator-box at or near the center of its length, so as to have a compartment of the refrigerator-box on each side of the refrigerating-vessel; second, in constructing the salteompartment in the longitudinal center of the refrigerating-vessel, so as to have the ice-compartment on each side ot' the saltcompartment, thus presenting the most extensive refrigerating-surface; third, in dividing the icecompartment into two parts, having communication for the brine, but not for the ice, so

as to keep the two compartments of the re` frigerator-box at different temperatures, if desired 5 fourth, in constructing two recesses, one on each side of the salt-compartment, through which ice may be supplied to the refrgeratingvessel; and, fourth, in constructing a new and efficient apparatus for ventilating the refrigerator-box, and for carrying off the Waste brine from the refrigeratingvessel.

Figure l is a plan with covers removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through the line l 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken across the refrigerator-box in the line 3 4 ot' Fig. 2.

A is the refrigerator-box of the usual construction, having double Walls, with a space between the box and metallic lining filled with some non-conducting material. Al A1 are doors opening' into the refrigerator. A2 is a door covering the refrigerati11g-vessel; B B are cross-bars extending across the refrigerator-box A. O is the reirigerating-vessel constructed across the center of the refrigeratorbox A, supported by the crossbars B. The retrigeratingvessel U, together with the partition D, divides the refrigerator-box A into two separate compartments, l and 2, having no air communication with each other. The rerigerating-vessel C has two separate compartments, which contain, respectively, ice and salt. a is the salt-compartment, constructed (of Woven-wire or perforated sheet metal) longitudinally in the middle of the refrigeratng-vessel C, so as to have the iceeompartment b on each side of the salt-compartment. b b are recesses on each side of the salt-compartment a, through which ice is supplied to the ice-compartment of the refrigeratil'lg-vessel. c is a partition, constructed of woven Wire or perforated'sheet metal, extending down from the bottom of the saltcompartment a to the bottom of the refrigen ating-vessel C. E is an air-tube for ventilating the refrigerator. F and F are small tubes, through which the air passes from the` tube E to the bottom of the refrigerator-box A. The tube F passes through the partition D, in order to conduct cold air into compartment 2 of the refrigerator-box. G G are airoutlets in the side of the refrigerator-box A near the top, through which the air passes out of the refrigerator-box.

H is a Waste-pipe conveying the brine from the bottom of the refrigerating-vessel C, Where it is warmest,'into the air-tube E, whence it passes, through the pipes F and F', into the water-boxes I I', which are soldered to the partition D, or otherwise secured in such a manner as to catch the moisture that flows down the partition. From the boxes I I the brine passes oft' from the refrigerator box through the pipes K K', which are curved so as to form a water-seal to prevent the escape of air.

In the accompanying drawings the doors of the refrigerator-box A are placed on top. This is the preferable arrangement, inasmuch as the cold air in the refrigerator-box is retained when the doors are opened, whereas when the doors are on the side the cold air in the refrigerator passes out by its greater specitie gravity whenever the doors are opened. But my improvement is equally applicable to a refrigerator where the doors into the compartments l Zopen at the side. The refrigeratin gvessel C is placed across the middle ofthe refrigerator-box A, in order to divide the refrig erator-box A into two seperate compartments l and 2, having no air communication with each other, and capable of being kept at different temperatures.

The salt-compartment a is placed longitudinally in the middle of the refrigerating-vessel C, for the following advantageous results obtained by the arrangement: First, the ice-compartment exercises the refrigeratin g force, and by this arrangement it is placed in contact with the sides oi' the refrigerating-vessel, and thus the greatest refrigerating-surface is exposed, and the highest efficiency of the apparatus is secured. Second, by placing the ice on both sides of the salt receptacle, the compartments l 2 of thev refrigerator-box A are both kept equally cold; but when the ice is placed only on one side of the salt-compartment a, it is prevented from passing beneath the salt-compartment to the other side by the partition c, and the compartment of' the refrigerator-box adjacent to the ice Will be kept `at a temperature below the freezing point,

while the other compartment of the refrigerator-box having no ice in the refrigerating-vessel adjacent to it, will be kept at a moderately cool temperature by the brine in the refrigerating-vessel.

The construction of the recesses b', one on each side of the salt-compartment, presents decided advantages. It is important to have the space between the salt-compartment a and -the side of the refrigerating-vessel C as narrow as is practicable, inasmuch as this construction both'economizes ice and increases the refrigerating activity. The cold of the icecompartment is dependent upon the saturation of the brine with salt, so that it may melt the ice at a low temperature. The narrower the space for the ice-compartment, the more readily does the salt in the salt-compartment saturate the brine. But this construction is attended with inconveniencein supplying the ice to the ice-compartment. The recesses b' 'are constructed to obviate this inconvenience. Large lumps of ice may be supplied through them to the ice-compartment in its wider part below, and as they melt and grow smaller the lumps of ice will rise into the smaller space at the top of the ice-compartment.

The ventilating apparatus acts in the following manner: rIhe air in the tube E is chilled by the cold of the brine in the refrig'erating-vessel G, and sinks through the tubes F and F' down to the bottom of the refrigerator-box A, the air displaced by its entrance passing ofi' through the air-outlets G G. The excessive cold of the brine in the refrigerating-vessel C causes the air in the tube E to precipitate its moisture upon the sides of the tube, wherev it freezes into ice. The ice is prevented from accumulating by the brine which escapes through the wastepipe H into the airtube E, and keeps the ice in the tube melted.

B v means of this Ventilating apparatus the air that passes into the refrigerator is in great measure deprived of its moisture. A great part of the moisture Ait retains Will be deposited upon the sides of the refrigeratingvessel C, Which are sloped down to a point, so that the moisture precipitated upon it will run down into the boxes I I'.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and'wish to secure by Letters Patent, isv 1. The combination of Vthe refrigerator-box A, compartments l and 2, refrigerating-vessel C, saltcompartment a, icecompartment b, recesses b', partition o, air-tube E, air-tubes F F', air-outlets G, partition D, Waste-pipe H, Water-boxes I I', and escape-pipes K K', substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the refrigeratorbox A, of the refrigerating-vessel C, (containing salt-compartment a and ice-compartment 12,) and having partition-flange D, and extending across the refrigerator-box at or near the center, for the purpose .of dividing it into two compartments, l and 2, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination, with the refrigeratingvessel'G, of the salt-compartment a, longitudinally in the middle, and extending from end to end of vessel C, for the purpose of" exposing the largest refrigerating-surface of the ice-compartment, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the salt-compartment a., having recesses b' b', and ice compartment b, for the purpose of supplying ice to the refrigerating-vessel, substantially as set forth.

5. The partition o, in combination with the refrigerating-vessel G, having the salt-compartment a and the ice-compartment b, the refrigerator-box A having compartments l 2, for the purpose of preventing the ice placed on one side of the salt-compartment from passingHV to the other, and thus securing a different temperature in the compartments l 2, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the air-tube E, airtubes F F', and air-outlets Gr G, with the refrigeratingvessel C, having salt-compartment a and ice-compartment b, and the refrigerator box A, having compartments 1 and 2, in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination, with the refrigeratorbox A, refrigerating-vessel C, having saltcompartment a and ice-compartment b of the waste-pipe H, tube E, tubes F F', water-boxes I, and waste-pipes K, in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

LCIEN B. WOOLFOLK.

Witnesses:

CHARLES GIBsoN, J. N. WILLIAMS.` 

